Street War
by Twilight-Link
Summary: A Novelization of GTA SA. Carl Johnson escaped from life in Los Santos five years ago, but he must now return to the city he fled from in order to retake control of the streets. Postponed until further notice.


Street War: A Novelization of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

A/N: I know it's been done a lot, but it's my favorite game and I had to write a fic about it. I'll try to get most of the dialogue right; on another note, the Chappies of this Fic will have, at most, two missions in them, sometimes three, if I feel like it. Now with my rambling done, on with the Fic!

Disclaimer: I don't own GTA, if I did, I would be so plastered right now.

Chapter I

Revelations

_After five years on the east coast, it was time to go home…_

'_Welcome to Los Santos International Airport.'_

Carl Johnson stepped into the baggage claim area of Los Santos International airport, having just gotten off of a flight from Francis INTL. Airport, in Liberty City, the words of his brother still ringing clearly in his ears as he plucked his battered suitcase from the baggage carousel and walked towards the departure gates.

_He had been sitting on the edge of his couch in his Liberty City apartment, absentmindedly swirling the dregs of a brew in his left hand, when his cellular phone started to ring._

_He picked it up from the table that stood beside his couch and pressed the 'talk' key with his thumb, lifting it to his ear, he said, casually: "'Sup?"_

"_Carl, it's Sweet." Sweet's voice had an edge of seriousness CJ had never heard before, and it worried him, something was wrong… terribly wrong. _

"'_Sup, Sweet. What you want?" He replied, nonchalantly, setting down his beer._

"_It's Moms, she's dead, bro." The moment Sweet had uttered the word 'dead', a look of absolute horror had plastered itself on Carl Johnson's face, Moms…dead…it just wasn't possible. Who would kill her? She was the sweetest woman in the world…_

_CJ already had a pretty good idea who had murdered his moms. "A'ight, I'll be there as soon as I can." He could almost see his brother nod on this other side of the line._

"_Alright. See you later." CJ pushed the 'end' button and flung his phone across the room, cursing violently as he did._

_CJ then stood and strode briskly over to his cluttered closet, where he fished inside of it for his suitcase, finally finding it; he hurled it onto his bed, and stuffed some clothes into it. He picked his cell phone up from the floor on his way out and slammed his apartment door shut behind him, never to return._

Now he stood on the sidewalk in the early morning light as the sun peered over the horizon, dressed in a wife-beater and jeans, the heat almost making him sweat, and hailed a cab, he climbed into the back seat of the taxi, setting his suitcase in the seat next to him.

"Where to?" CJ looked up to see the Hispanic cab driver peering at him in the rear-view mirror. He sighed and said, leaning back in his seat.

"Grove Street." The cab driver nodded, and pushed down the gas pedal with his foot, propelling the yellow cab forward.

The drive was uneventful; CJ glanced out the window a few times, noting the familiar streets that he had grown up on. After about five minutes of peace and relative quiet, the all-too-familiar gunshots that pierced the air every few minutes shattered the relative calm of the streets; CJ noticed something in the rear-view mirror.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." He mumbled, he hadn't noticed that a Police cruiser tailing him, he was slipping, five years ago; he would've spotted it in a heartbeat. Then, another sound that he was WAY too familiar with, the wailing of a police siren.

The cabbie pulled over, CJ turned around in his seat and watched as two of the cops stepped of the car and trained their service pistols on the taxi, then a third cop clambered out of the front passenger side of the cruiser, a megaphone in his hand.

"Passenger, show us your hands." The officer spoke into the megaphone. CJ sighed, he just somehow knew this was coming; he clambered out of the car, and began to walk backward, hands placed behind his head, fingers interlaced.

"Stop," He stopped, "now down on your stomach, there you go." The officer, who CJ recognized as officer Tenpenny ordered, CJ complied, grunting slightly as he laid down on scalding concrete. It was Tenpenny, Pulaski, and Hernandez, corrupt cops, in a taskforce called CRASH.

_A pain in the ass as always…_CJ thought, as Hernandez slapped a pair of 'cuffs on CJ's wrists, Pulaski had his standard issue pistol trained on CJ's back. Hernandez conducted a quick search and came up with a wad of cash.

"I'll take that Hernandez." Officer Tenpenny said, as Hernandez handed him the bills, Tenpenny, though CJ couldn't see it, quickly counted CJ's hard-earned money, a smug grin on his face.

"Hey, that's my paper, man, that's money!" CJ growled as Hernandez and Pulaski hauled him up from the street, and turned him around to face Tenpenny.

"This is _drug_ money…" Tenpenny said, emphasizing the word '_drug_' heavily while he waved the wad of paper in CJ's face.

"My money man…" CJ muttered.

Pulaski smirked. "Hey, don't worry about it; I'll fill it out later."

"Welcome home, Carl, glad to be back? You haven't forgotten about us, have you boy?" He said, smirking widely.

"Hell no, Officer Tenpenny, I was just wonderin' what took ya'll so long." CJ retorted, glaring at Tenpenny.

Tenpenny brought his face close to Carl's, so close their noses almost touched and said: "Get in the car." Grasping the scruff of his wife-beater, Tenpenny forced CJ toward the police cruiser.

"Ease up, man, damn." CJ said to Tenpenny as he pushed him into the back seat of the Police car.

"Watch your head," he said, just as he slammed CJ's head into the doorframe, "oops, my bad…" Pulaski started laughing, while Hernandez chuckled quietly. CJ sat in the back seat of the cruiser, slightly dazed.

"Get out of here you grease ball bastard!" Pulaski yelled at the cabbie as he began climbing into the driver's seat. "Stupid Mexican…" He muttered, then he noticed the glare that Hernandez had just shot him, "oh, hey, sorry." The cabbie took off, slowly speeding away.

"My bag! Hey, man, my bag!" Carl said, but the members of CRASH ignored him and sped away. CJ shook his head a couple of times, trying to clear it, Tenpenny had slammed his head into the doorframe pretty well…Tenpenny cast a glance over his shoulder at CJ, and smirked evilly.

"How you been Carl, how's your wonderful family?" Tenpenny asked, sneering at CJ in the rear-view mirror. CJ shot a glare at the cop, whose grin just grew even wider.

"I'm here to bury my moms, you know that." He replied, coldly.

"Yeah, I guess I do…" He paused. "So what else you got shakin', Carl?"

"Nothin', I live in Liberty City now. I'm clean, legit."

"No you ain't ever been clean, Carl." The black officer replied, smugly.

"Well, what have we got here?" Pulaski suddenly said, raising a 9mm pistol.

"This is a weapon, Officer Pulaski, that was used to gun down a police officer not ten minutes ago, Officer Pendelbury…A fine man, I might add." Tenpenny said, turning around in his seat to glare at CJ, his voice had a smug tone, "you work fast nigga!"

"You know I just got off the plane!" CJ retorted, angrily.

"It's a good thing we found you, retrieved the murder weapon." Pulaski explained, glancing at CJ in the rear-view mirror.

"THAT AIN'T MY GUN!" CJ shouted.

"DON'T BULLSHIT ME, CARL!" Tenpenny shouted back, angrily.

"YEAH, DON'T BULLSHIT HIM, CARL!" Pulaski echoed, as the cruiser started driving through residential streets, Ballas' territory.

"What the fuck do you want from me this time?" Carl asked, furiously.

"When we want you, we'll find you. In the meantime, try not to gun down anymore officers of the law." Tenpenny warned, turning back around.

"You can't leave me here…this is Ballas' country!" CJ cried, noticing where they were.

"I thought you said you were innocent Carl? That you don't bang!" They turned into an alleyway, narrowly avoiding a group of Ballas that were standing at the mouth of the alleyway. The radio buzzed into life.

"This is car 58…WHAT!" Pulaski shouted into the radio, Hernandez shoved the back door open, took the cuffs off CJ's wrists and pushed him out of the car with a swift kick, he collided with the ground and rolled for a few feet, and slammed into a wooden fence. Tenpenny yelled at him as they past him by:

"See you 'round like a doughnut, Carl!" In the background Carl could hear Pulaski say:

"Officer Pendelbury's down? We'll be right over." The Police cruiser disappeared around the corner, as CJ climbed painfully to his feet.

_Ah, shit, here we go again, worst place in the world, Rollin' heights Ballas Country. I ain't represented Grove Street for five years, but the Ballas won't give a shit._ CJ thought, casting a nervous glance over his shoulder.

He started walking toward the end of the alleyway; he spotted a red BMX sitting unchained, next to a small house, CJ cocked an eyebrow at this, what kind of idiot left their bike unchained in the ghetto? Shrugging, he climbed onto the BMX and pedaled out of the alleyway, down the sidewalk, weaving left and right to avoid pedestrians, he crossed over the train tracks and made a sharp left turn, and he pedaled past a small park, across an overpass and onto Grove Street.

_Grove Street, home. At least it was before I fucked everything up._

CJ increased his speed, and came to a stop in front of a brown two story house, on the left side of the circle drive, whose paint was chipping. He climbed off of the bike, already knowing that it was going to be jacked, and approached the house where he had been born.

CJ stood at the door, his hand gripping the doorknob. He took a deep breath and opened the door. Stepping into his Mom's house, he was hit with a wave of nostalgia; memories of times long past flooded through his head.

He looked around the living room, the blue paint on its walls bringing back countless memories, the couches that sat around the TV and the game console that was positioned in one of the corners of the room, a table was situated next to the doorway to the kitchen. He half-expected to see his Moms in the kitchen making some of her famous chili, or tidying up the house, but the residence was empty.

"_Stop it! What are you doing? Carl, Brian stop it!" His sister, Kendl, had shouted so long ago._

"_Quit it, Moms'll hear!" CJ had yelled back, his voice was prepubescent._

"_Mom, they're up to somethin'!" Kendl had cried, running off to find their mom._

Though CJ couldn't really recall what they had been fighting over, but the two of them, CJ and his brother, Brian, had really received a thrashing from their Moms. He could remember that very well.

He took two steps over to the TV and knelt down, picking up a picture of his Moms; he walked over to the table and pulled out the chair. Setting the picture down in front of him, he collapsed into the chair. CJ held his head in his hands, and then he stared at her picture sadly, running his hand along the frame of the photograph, wishing what his brother had said wasn't true.

He was jerked out of his reverie by a stout black man, who stepped out from inside the kitchen, brandishing a baseball bat threateningly. "YOU PICKED THE WRONG HOUSE, FOO'!" He roared at the top of his lungs, advancing on CJ. The man was wearing a derby on his head, his eyes were hidden behind glasses, and he was garbed in a green shirt, and blue jeans.

CJ practically flew out of his chair in surprise; he picked up the chair and held it out in front of him, trying to keep it between him and the baseball bat. He recognized the man almost instantly. "Big Smoke! It's me! Carl! Chill, Chill!" He cried, taking a couple of steps back, glancing around quickly for an escape route.

'Big Smoke' halted mid-step, and took a good, hard look at Carl. "CJ?" He asked, peering closely at the Johnson boy's face, and then his face brightened considerably. "Aw, CJ, my dawg! Whassup!" He shouted, happily, as he tossed the bat onto the table. Carl walked towards him; Smoke grasped his outstretched hand and pulled him into in a bear-hug, the much larger Big Smoke nearly crushing his spine. "Hey baby, you okay, man?" He finished, releasing CJ from his death-grip.

CJ sighed, and popped his back with a loud 'crack'! "No, man, it's my moms, homie…"

Big Smoke placed a hand on Carl's shoulder and said, gesturing with his other hand. "Hey, I don't know why this had to happen, but I promise you, I'm gonna find out who killed your moms." He took his hand from CJ's shoulder and began to gesture with both his hands. "The streets is cold, dawg. Like it says in the book, we are blessed and cursed." He finished, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"What fuckin' book?" CJ yelled, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Same things make us laugh, make us cry." Smoke continued as if CJ hadn't said anything. "But right now, we gotta take care of our business; go see your brother at the cemetery. C'mon let's bounce." Smoke finished, beckoning for CJ to follow him. Carl Johnson took a step forward, and then stopped.

"Hey, Smoke?" CJ asked Big Smoke turned to him.

"Yeah?" He replied, his voice slightly hoarse, he loosened his collar a bit.

CJ smirked knowingly. "You had some of Moms' Chili didn't ya?"

"I forgot how hot your Moms' Chili was." He responded, coughing slightly. CJ laughed.

"Yeah, you got that right." He muttered, following Smoke out of the door.

CJ stepped out into the midday heat of Los Santos, the air was hot and damp, and the sky overhead was filled clouds of smog. CJ pulled the door to behind him, and descended the steps in front of his Moms' house; it was then he noticed a Black Perennial sitting in the circle drive in front of the house.

_What the hell…that wasn't there before. _He thought, perplexed. Big Smoke turned to him.

"You wanna drive?" He asked, walking around to the front passenger side of the car.

Yeah, that's cool." He said, pulling the driver's side door open and climbing into the vehicle. "Nice car, Smoke." He finished, admiring the interior of Smoke's Perennial.

Smoke followed him into the car. "You know me, it's not cut. Keep the value in it, keep it real." He pointed out, proudly.

CJ shook his head as he turned the key in the ignition, and pressed his foot down on the gas pedal, propelling the vehicle forward. He followed the streets to the highway that ran up through the center of LS. And after a few minutes of navigating he found his way to the cemetery near Temple.

He parked the Perennial near the entrance of the cemetery; Smoke climbed out of the car, and began to walk towards the cemetery gates. CJ followed shortly after, jogging to catch up with Big Smoke. He caught up with Smoke, and walked in step with him. Carl was already dreading the approaching confrontation.

Standing around a small tombstone, were three figures. Two men and a woman.

Smoke put a hand on CJ's shoulder. "I've missed ya these five years, man, they gonna be real happy to see you." He took his hand from Carl's shoulder and approached the trio. "Hey, whassup ya'll? Look who I found, hanging around." He said, beckoning Carl to follow him.

Carl's sister, Kendl Johnson, looked up from her mother's grave, her face sad and morose. When she saw CJ, her features lit up with delight. Kendl's black hair was done up in a bun, she was dressed in a green top and a denim miniskirt. She beamed at him.

"Carl, hey," she said, standing up and hugging her brother, "good to see you."

Carl stared miserably at his mother's grave, which was just a marker that stated plainly: 'Beverly Johnson, a loving mother, may you rest in peace.'

"I can't believe she's gone, man." CJ said with a sigh.

Sean Johnson, a.k.a. Sweet, who was wearing a green hat with 'LS' stamped onto the front of it, a green shirt and jeans, shot Carl a glare that would have made Rambo shudder. "That's another funeral you ran away from, fool. Just like Brian's!" He growled, pointing an accusing finger at Carl.

"Hey! She was my momma too!" Carl retorted, angrily.

"Not for the past five years she wasn't nigga!" CJ took a step forward, on the verge of punching his brother. Sweet also took a step forward, ready for the brotherly feud.

Kendl took a step in between the two. "Aw, come on!" She shouted, irritated, throwing her hands into the air and storming off.

"Where the fuck do you think you're goin'!" Sweet yelled at his retreating younger sister. Kendl flung a hand up into the air.

"Get outta my face; I'm going to see Cesar!" She retorted, increasing her pace. Sweet stormed after her.

"The hell you are, girl! You ain't messin' with them eses! You know we beefin'!" Kendl turned on her heel to face her brother and glared at him.

"I love him and who the fuck are you!" She shouted at him. Carl, Big Smoke and the third man, just stared blankly at the two siblings as they battled it out.

"At least I got principals."

"Oh, and I guess that makes you an upstanding American, Carl tell him!" She walked off again. Sweet stopped her before she could get too far.

"Carl, don't tell me shit, bitch!" Sweet warned CJ as he stopped Kendl from walking off again.

"As long as he treats her right, disrespect you and he's dead." CJ declared, adding a threatening tone in his voice.

Sweet turned to Carl. "How the hell can you say that? Like its any business of yours!"

"Fuck you, Sweet." Kendl said to Sweet, and she stormed off for the final time.

"Aw, shit – here we go again…" CJ muttered, rubbing at his forehead.

"Shit's _real_ fucked up! Everything!" Sweet shouted at no one in particular, throwing his hands up into the air.

"What you mean?" CJ asked, interested.

"What? Apart from your mother being dead? Things are going real bad; here let me show you 'running man'. Tony's buried over there. Little Devil over there, Big Devil over there," Sweet said, pointing to various places around the graveyard. "Man it's just crazy – everyone blasts on fools first then asks questions second." Sweet finished, walking off.

Carl looked around the graveyard in absolute horror, his homies were buried here…how many had died since he had left? He shook his head, and followed Sweet as he passed under the gates of the graveyard, followed closely by Big Smoke and the third man.

As the foursome approached Smoke's Perennial, a red Voodoo appeared around the corner, and a man in purple leaned out of the back window, gripping a pair of Mac-10 Uzis in his hands, another man in purple leaned over the roof of the car, an AK-47 in his hands.

"BALLAS! DRIVE-BY!" The third man shouted at the top of his lungs. CJ and the third man, both of them unarmed, dove out of the way to avoid the resulting firefight; the Ballas sprayed the area with hot lead as their low-rider drove by, Smoke and Sweet whipped out their pistols and returned fire. Missing the Ballas, but they scored some hits on their car.

One of the lucky Kalashnikov rounds struck the gas tank on Smoke's Perennial, resulting in a massive explosion which sent the foursome flying backward. After the dust had cleared, Big Smoke clambered to his feet and stared at the black framework that had once been his car.

"Aw, motherfucker, my car!" He shouted, turning back to his homies, who were climbing painfully to their feet. Sweet watched the Ballas car speed away, and then he noticed something. Parked in front of a small building across the street, were some BMX bikes.

"We gotta get back to the 'hood, man, it's too crazy around here!" He announced, running over to the bikes. "Grab a bike and pedal, even you ain't forgotten that, CJ!" The others glanced at each other, then shrugged and followed the eldest Johnson brother. Carl clambered onto a bike and sped off in hot pursuit of his brother. The Voodoo appeared behind them, the pair of gunmen leaning out of the rear windows, firing haphazardly at the foursome.

CJ swerved to the left in order to avoid some bullets that would have killed him. "I thought this was family's turf!" He said, as they pedaled toward an empty parking lot, that resided under a network of bridges and overpasses.

"Yeah, it's Temple Drive Family; we don't roll with them anymore!" Sweet replied, over the gunshots emanating from the low-rider that was slowly gaining on them, he sped up and came to a stop near the center of the parking lot.

"Man, this shit is fucked up." CJ muttered as he came to a stop with the others.

Sweet started off again, gaining the Ballas' attention and their car followed him. "Shit! A Ballas' car is onto us! Split up!" He called back to his homies, as he disappeared around a corner, the Voodoo close behind. Ryder, who was wearing a black cap with 'San Andreas' imprinted on the front, black shades, a green windbreaker, and jeans, cast a glance over his shoulder at CJ.

"Keep up, motherfucka!" He shouted, and sped off followed closely by Big Smoke.

CJ started off after his homies, as they weaved their way through the streets of Los Santos, avoiding cars and pedestrians. After awhile, they crossed over the train rails, and entered Ganton. The Ballas' car out of their minds, the three of them had started racing when they neared Idlewood. Ryder was in the lead, CJ hot on his heels, Smoke had taken third place.

CJ poured on the steam, and sped past a thoroughly shocked Ryder into the circle drive at the end of Grove Street. CJ wiped the sweat from his brow as he came to a stop in the center of the circle drive. Smoke came to a stop beside him, and began panting heavily. Ryder was still pedaling around them, performing wheelies and other tricks.

"I got with them mother fuckers though – showed them niggaz whose gangsta. Ryder, nigga!" Ryder proclaimed as he performed his third wheelie around the duo.

Sweet rolled towards the trio from the highway that ran beside Grove Street; he slowed to a stop next to Smoke.

"So when you leavin' Carl?" He asked CJ, quickly.

CJ looked at his brother. "I ain't sure, thought I might stay. Things is fucked up." He replied, shrugging.

Sweet scoffed. "The last thing we need is _your_ help." He said, scowling slightly.

"Aw, man, I won't let you down, I swear." Carl replied with a sigh.

"Hey, we gonna call some 'hood-rats and chill the hell out, you want some?" Sweet asked, casually.

"I gotta a whole lot goin' on right now," CJ replied, climbing off of his bike "I'm tired, I'll catch ya'll later."

Big Smoke turned to CJ. "Hey yo', just drop in, we all hangin' out." He said. CJ smirked, and nodded quietly, and then he began walking towards his Moms' house.

"Yeah," He heard Ryder say behind him, "and get yourself some colors, fool. And a haircut – it's embarrassing to be seen with you!" Ryder finished, smirking.

CJ didn't even look at Ryder, he just gave him the finger and pushed the door to the Johnson Residence open and stepped inside, while the others ditched their bikes and strolled towards Sweet's house, which was to the right of CJ's house. Meanwhile, the sun had started to set, casting a brilliant orange glow over the circle drive, night was approaching.

Carl headed into the kitchen, and raided the fridge; he shut the refrigerator door with a snap. Apparently, Smoke had cleaned out his fridge, only leaving a sandwich, which CJ devoured in three bites, he had been pretty hungry. He plopped down on the couch, and almost immediately fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

A/N: How'd ya like it? Hmm? I'll be adding a few things that I thought CJ should've done during the game. Rude hand gestures, comments, etc. Well, I'm done rambling, until next time, folks. READ AND REVIEW, PEOPLE!

T.L.


End file.
